The Beginning
by ProDLnEC aka NLcsimiamifanatic
Summary: Single dad and new CSI Eric Delko and his adorable daughter, Nevaeh meet Calleigh. Apologies for the delay in updating WRITER'S BLOCK!
1. The Beginning Chp 1

_**The Beginning**_

Eric was excited and relieved to have received a full grant to pay his police academy and forensics education. Otherwise, accepted or not, he couldn't attend. There was no way he could afford a student load. Recruits received a small wage that was based their expenses. The meagre check covered his grocery bill, diapers not included. The young man felt horribly guilty that his family members, despite their own expenses covered his rent and diapers for Nevaeh for three months.

And vehemently refused to be repaid. It wasn't as if Eric was being lazy and refusing to pay his own way through life. He didn't have to pay for childcare, because his family believed he shouldn't have to. Also he was one the few recruits who applied for and was granted permission to spend the nights away from the barracks, as long as he was on the 5:00a.m. morning march, _every_ time. Single dad, or not, no exceptions. If he was late, even once, this privilege would be revoked. Eric could at least spend the nights with his daughter. Getting to spend only a few hours a week with Nevaeh on family visits would have been unbearable. Nevaeh spent nights in daddy's bed during that period. After a story, she would snuggle into daddy and fall asleep. It bothered both daddy and daughter that Nevaeh was seldom awake when Eric had to leave the apartment at 3:45a.m.. Chlorinda would lay down with the baby girl then. Eric tried to console himself with the fact life wouldn't be like this forever.

Today was the start of new, improved life for Eric and Nevaeh.

Eric Delko was now a Crime Scene Investigator. Yes, the job would often have unpredictable hours but it was better than it had been the past few months. There no more police academy. No more only seeing each other only when Nevaeh were sleeping or getting a bedtime story.

His first day on Horatio Caine's forensic team was everything he thought it would be. Horatio was a great boss. He held authority but was quite respectful of his subordinates. He appeared genuinely glad to have Eric join the team.

"You did a good job today, Eric," he said when he met Eric in the locker room near the end of the day. He then asked about Nevaeh seeing her photo on the inside of Eric's locker door. "She's beautiful," Horatio said.

Eric smiled. "For sure."

Nevaeh was running, not walking now. And for her age, she had a big vocabulary in both English and Spanish. Eric couldn't wait to get home to her and tell her all about his day and new job, even if she didn't understand any of it.

Nevaeh's favorite stuffed toy was a brown and white bunny. It was at her side constantly since Eric had given it to her on her first Easter. It was a good thing Paloma had given her the same one by accident. If "bunny" was ever permanently lost, Eric would have a problem. The baby wouldn't sleep without it. Daddy kept the replacement on the top shelf in the closet "in case of emergency." Eric thought if plush toys could get headaches, "bunny" had a constant one. Nevaeh always dragged it around by its ears.

The girl squealed and ran to him when he came through the door. Eric scooped her up.

_"Hello beautiful! _Daddy missed you today!"

Nevaeh babbled, smiling and burying her face in Eric's shoulder.

"She missed you, too," Chlorinda said, walking to the porch and giving her son a hug.

"How was your day, hijo?"

"Excellent. Can't wait to tell my princesa all about it."

Chlorinda made a face.

"Don't tell her anything too gory."

Eric laughed. "_Oh mom! _She's a bright kid but I doubt she understands any level of scientific terminology."

As of right now and for a while Eric would be working strictly in the lab, he would have to pass a series of on-the-job evaluations to be allowed to be "in the field" a.k.a. an active crime scene.

She may not have understood all of what he said when Eric was giving Nevaeh her bath a short time later and showed him her _Mater_ bath toy.

"No mo?" She said.

Eric had always showed her the toy and told her it was like a truck he drove at work.

"That's right. No more tow truck. Papi's gonna have to buy you a gray hummer."

Whether or not she understood and was asking him a question or just showing him the bath toy, it was cute and Eric laughed.

Nevaeh started to yawn when Eric massaged her with lotion before he put on her _Party At My Crib. 3 a.m._ onesie. It was a warm night and the baby would only get too warm in footie knew his little girl wasn't quite ready for sleep yet but massage had always relaxed Nevaeh. He had started doing the day he met her in the hospital. Baby massage had been part of the newborn care course. It had been mentioned during that class that it helped in parent-child bonding. Again they were right, Eric thought.

"Daddy loves his new job," Eric said to his daughter, sitting down with her in the recliner. "He gets to help people in a different way. Remember that nice man, Horatio? He works there, too. Maybe I'll take you in there some time."


	2. The Beginning Chp 2

_**A Surprise Visitor **_

There was a knock on the door just as Eric was going to take Nevaeh to bed.

"Who could that be coming to visit us?" Eric said to Nevaeh, carrying her on his hip, her bunny in tow by the ears. "Let's go see."

Opening the door, he was surprised to see Horatio Caine.

"Detective Caine. What are you doing here?"

Eric's wallet had fallen from his jacket as he was exiting the Crime Lab locker room without him realizing it.

"You dropped this. I think you might need it," Horatio said, handing him his wallet.

"Oh geez. I didn't realize that. Thanks a lot."

Nevaeh gave Horatio a big smile. Her two bottom teeth showing and drool running down her chin.

"No problem," Horatio couldn't help but smile back at the baby. She was beyond adorable. "She's certainly growing."

Nevaeh then leaned forward towards Horatio. His shades had caught her eye and she wanted them.

"No," Eric said to her. "They're not yours, baby."

"That's okay. She's just curious. Aren't you, sweetie?"

Eric asked Horatio if he wanted to come in for a few minutes. It was clear that Nevaeh and Horatio wanted to see each other.

"That's all right. I'm sure you're busy-"

"We're not."

Nevaeh again leaned forward, this time daddy couldn't stop her and her chubby hand grabbed his black blazer.

Horatio laughed.

"I guess I'll come in."

The moment Eric sat Neaveh down on the carpet, she immediately walked over to where Horatio was sitting in the armchair. She definitely wanted to "inspect" this visitor. He seemed nice.

"Hello there, sweetheart," Horatio said, touching Nevaeh's hair. "You're such a pretty girl."

The last time Horatio had seen Nevaeh she were nine months old. She had changed a lot even in that short time. Nevaeh started to try to climb onto Horatio's lap.

"May I?" Horatio asked, before picking Nevaeh up.

"That's what she wants. Be my guest."

The two men talked for a while about Eric's first day. Horatio told Eric he was genuinely glad he decided to become a cop and CSI. He had a natural ability that it would be a shame to waste. Again he told Eric he was impressed by his work.

Eric almost blushed. It felt good to get such a compliment from someone like Horatio Caine.

"By the way," Horatio said when he was leaving. "I insist you call me Horatio, or H. Drop the 'Detective Caine.'"

Eric smiled. "Okay."

Horatio turned to Nevaeh, smiled and touched her small hand.

"I hope see you again soon, too," he said to her. "You gotta bring this lil' one in sometime. I'm sure everyone would love to meet the main lady in your life," he told Eric.


	3. The Beginning Chp 3

_**Introductions**_

There had been no doubt in Horatio Caine's mind that Eric Delko was a very proud dad. The young man smiled and his face lit up at the mention of his daughter. Nevaeh was visibly a very secure child, despite the fact she didn't know her mother. Two weeks later Eric's mother brought Nevaeh to the lab at the end Eric's shift.

"_Papi!"_ The little girl shrieked when she saw her father. All her six teeth, two on the top and four on the top could be seen.

Nevaeh wiggled to get out of her abuela's arms. Chlorinda sat the girl down and she ran to her father. Eric introduced his mother before she left, he and Nevaeh would go home together in a short while. The little girl with short, curly black pigtails who wore denim shorts, purple strap baby-doll top with a large butterfly on the front and white sneakers immediately attracted much attention. Calleigh Duquesne hadn't met her new co-worker's child before though she had heard a _lot_ about her. Nevaeh was certainly appropriately named. She was a living doll—and she looked just like her doting daddy. The ballistics expert was too busy introduce herself.

"Eric's daughter is the cutest!" DNA analyst Maxine Valera said to Calleigh, entering the ballistics lab.

"I saw her. She's adorable," Calleigh smiled.

The next time Nevaeh came in and the blonde was definitely going to take the moment to say hello. Maxine continued to talk, saying she wondered how any mother could not want her baby. But the best thing Nevaeh's mother did was leave her with a dad like Eric. Calleigh agreed. It was hard to imagine a tough guy changing diapers and baby baths.

The image was a sexy one, nevertheless. Calleigh could just imagine how he was with the little girl at home.

Not being a typical bachelor, the first thing Eric purchased with his new paycheck could called a boring one; a regular washer and dryer. It made the porch of their small apartment cramped , taking up the entire porch closet but it were a necessity he could finally afford. And with the way Nevaeh went through clothing as she "explored" life it came in use quick. He didn't stop her in her journeys, unless it was dangerous. It was how children learned. Clothes were just material that could be replaced; but it helpful now that much more could be washed at once.

Ballistics expert Calleigh Duquesne made her introduction to Eric and his daughter a week later in the parking lot of the crime lab when both were leaving. Again Chlorinda was bringing his daughter to him. The older woman was pulling out of the lot as Calleigh went up to Eric and Nevaeh.

"Hey," she said.

"Oh hey, Calleigh," Eric smiled, butterflies filled his stomach every time they were in the same space when the business of the job wasn't there as a distraction.

Like right now.

"I seem to be the only one who hasn't been formally introduced to this cutie," Calleigh smiled.

Eric chuckled.

"This is Nevaeh. Can you say 'hi' to Calleigh, baby?"

Nevaeh smiled and gave a tiny wave.

"Hello Nevaeh," Calleigh said, shaking the girl's small hand. "You certainly take after your papi."

She couldn't help but notice how sweet-smelling, soft and smooth the child's skin was.

On the whim, a shot of courage hit Eric, despite the fact that the one other time they met before when he towed a car to the lab and Calleigh told she would never socialize with or date anyone she worked with when he joked about asking for her number combined with the fact that co-workers dating was frowned upon, Eric told Calleigh he and Nevaeh were going for ice cream and invited her along. He figured an ice cream date with his daughter along would be less threatening.

Okay, it wasn't_ planned_. And it was going to spoil his child's dinner but Nevaeh would survive an evening with a late meal. Eric knew that she would enjoy the ice cream appetizer.


	4. The Beginning Chp 4

_**Falling Down The Rabbit Hole—of Love **_

Hearing her answer of "yes" to the date, had shocked Calleigh in spite of herself. She remembered what she had said to Eric in the garage that day. But all her resistance was gone out the window. She was drawn to the adorable pair and wanted to get to know them better. As she followed them in her car to the ice cream parlor and diner which was apparently close to the house where the duo lived in the basement apartment. Thanks to co-worker Tim Speedle, aka "Speed" she didn't understand it but she knew the situation with Nevaeh's mother. But most men wouldn't step up for their children and relied on their extended family to rear the child. His mother and no doubt, the rest of his family was _very_ close to Nevaeh but Eric was indeed her primary caregiver and the person she trusted the most in the world. Calleigh shook her head when she thought she'd _love_ to be the little girl's mom.

_You're going way too fast! _She scolded herself.

Just a week following their first family date Eric asked her if she wanted to "come over" after work, Calleigh offered to bring over take-out from a popular deli. When she entered the Delkos' apartment Calleigh got a cozy feel to it despite its small size. It felt like a _home_, not just a space. That was something else that surprised Calleigh because most single men she knew, dads or not, didn't put this much effort into their living space. She wondered how else Eric was going to surprise her.

After just seven days, she felt she was already falling down the rabbit hole—of love—with _both_ Eric and Nevaeh. When Nevaeh appeared to remember her, running to Calleigh with a big smile and giving her a big kiss and hug when she saw her, the blonde's heart melted. This was something she get used to.

"Hello sweet-pea," she said to the child.

Nevaeh babbled and snuggled into Calleigh's shoulder After eating their sandwiches and milkshakes the trio sat down and watched , dressed only in a white undershirt. sprawled herself across Calleigh's lap.

"You're a lucky man," Calleigh said to Eric, rubbing the little girl's back.

Eric smiled. "I am."

The baby girl falling asleep across Calleigh's lap, turned over and looked at her. She smiled.

"Yes, sweetie. I'm talkin' 'bout you," Calleigh smiled.

When she realizing Calleigh, or "Cawwy" as she pronounced her during the visit was getting ready to leave, she cried and reached out to her. It melted Calleigh's heart.

"Aww, sweetie. You're all right. I'll see you again soon."

Nevaeh's tears didn't last long.

"You like that lady, don't you? I do, too."

Nevaeh pointed toward the door that Calleigh had just closed.

"Mami?" She said. "Mami!"

Eric's face paled, his daughter's words startled him so much.

Where was his daughter getting that word? The only time she ever heard it was at his parents' home when he and sisters spoke to their mother and when his nephews spoke to his sister. Nevaeh was too young to connect Calleigh's warmth to a mother.

Wasn't she?

Calleigh heard the Nevaeh's voice from behind the door she had just closed. Her heart stopped and her breath caught in her throat. Did she hear what she thought she did? Even if she did, Nevaeh was just a baby and babies babbled. This _had_ to be only that, right?

* * *

It hadn't taken Eric long at all to calm Nevaeh and make her happy again. By morning, the tyke seemed to have forgotten all about the previous night. Both Eric and Calleigh had the day off because the next day they had to pull a twelve hour shift. During his daughter's nap, Eric called Calleigh the following afternoon and asked her to come over. He had something to talk to her about.

When she got there, Calleigh immediately asked if this conversation was going to be about what Nevaeh said yesterday night.

"Y-you heard that?" Eric asked, feeling and sounding shocked.

"Yeah."

"Listen, Calleigh. I really do like you _a lot_. I do," Eric replied. "But I also know dating someone with a child is a lot to deal with. Even with or especially Neveah's mother not involved. If you don't want to continue this, this, whatever it is, that's fine. I'll be fine, I swear. And Nevaeh will be, too."

Calleigh leaned forward on the sofa and touched Eric's cheek.

"Eric, I know dating someone with a child is a lot. I can handle it. I _promise_. I want to get know _both_ of you much better. And as far as Nevaeh deciding to call me "mami"—I'm fluent in Spanish, by the way, so I know what that words means, and it's an _honor_," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. Both acknowledged that they didn't know where the relationship was going to lead but they felt that _somehow_ the Delkos were meant to meet Calleigh, and she was meant to meet them. And regardless of how their own relationship turned out, Calleigh would continue to play an important role in Nevaeh's life.

In the days ahead Eric heard a million times from his family members how "careful" he had to be with Nevaeh becoming attached to Calleigh. Even if Calleigh was a wonderful person.

_ Well, duh!_ Eric thought about being "careful."

But doing that didn't mean Eric had to be single forever. And anyone who was going to be with him was going to a mother figure in his child's life. Eric hadn't told anyone about what Nevaeh had said that night. He could imagine what a can of worms that would unleash because he and Calleigh had only been dating a could understand his family's feelings because of their love for his daughter but whether or not his family understood, he had to take this leap of faith.


	5. The Beginning Chp 5

_**A House vs. A Home**_

_Note: Ryan Wolfe is another team member in this story._

Her condo might have been roomier and fancier but compared to the basement apartment where her boyfriend, yes, boyfriend, lived with his daughter it wasn't a home. It didn't have that warmth and welcoming feel. Maybe that warmth was partly bought on by the laughter of a child. Eric agreed that his apartment had a "homey" feel, even if it was a rental. He told Calleigh his goal in the future was to move to a bigger place. The more intimate goal was to start a life with her. It was clear that Calleigh had Nevaeh's approval in spades. Tammy Lewis was missing out on an amazing experience when she skipped out on motherhood, or simply _knowing_ her daughter. She knew just her name, allegedly and scoffed when she heard it.

_When the hospital social worker bought the papers for Tammy to sign, giving sole custody and parental rights to Eric, she told Tammy she knew she didn't want to see or hold the newborn, she had made that perfectly clear. But did she want to know what the baby's father named her?_

_ "Not that I give a shit but I am a bit curious as to what __**senor**__ Delko called the little rat," Tammy replied._

_ "Her name is Nevaeh Esparenza. She's a very beautiful baby."_

_ Tammy snorted. _

_ "Sounds like a dog's name. Kinda fitting though since I heard she's brown like him and the rest of his family."_

_ When he heard about this, Eric knew his daughter wouldn't be meeting Tammy till she was eighteen and old enough to decide for herself. He wasn't going to set her up to be hurt._

_ "_You lookin' for another place?" Tim Speedle asked his friend in the locker room. Tim had seen Eric looking at listings earlier while on his break.

"Looking for more space," Eric replied.

Living with Calleigh wasn't happening yet. But it decided by Eric that his apartment was too small for the three of them anyway. Calleigh had said she didn't mind the size of the place. She found it "cozy." unlike her condo. She also liked the neighborhood where Eric lived and the fact that it was near his family who often looked after Nevaeh. Eric wasn't looking to go too far from his current residence. He had made a second appointment with the lady who was looking to sell her five-bedroom, three bathroom split-level home, complete with furnished basement. The extra distance would add fifteen minutes to his current commute to drop off Nevaeh to his parents' home in the morning but the trade-off was worth it. He already viewed the home once, bringing along his brother-in-law who was a certified home inspector. He was suspicious of the drastically reduced price. Paloma's husband, Elliot hadn't found anything wrong with the home that the woman might be trying to hide with the low price. She told Eric she would normally find such a price suspicious as well. But she explained that the house had been on the market for a long time and she was now just anxious to "unload" it so she reunite permanently with her husband in Alaska.

Eric was happy to pay the penalty for breaking his lease and move two weeks later. The previous owner was even happier by this. To ease any anxiety Nevaeh might have when they moved, the baby's room was going to be set the exact same as it was in their current residence, down to the color it was painted. During the move and paint job for her room that took over a day, Nevaeh stayed at her grandparents' house. Happily, after seeing her new identical bedroom, Nevaeh seemed to forget their old apartment, thoroughly enjoying all the space she had to run around. The extra bedrooms, the one downstairs where the large den was and the two upstairs gave the duo room to have company over, namely Nevaeh's partners-in-crime, Sasha and Mateo.

Calleigh, too, liked Eric's new home. She smiled at the fact that unlike some new homeowners who fussed over their home before the novelty wore off and let the house be "lived in," immediately Eric didn't care what Nevaeh's toys being all around the living room.

"This is a _home_. Not a showcase house. Plus, it's just the way it was before," he said.

All of the team, Horatio, Tim, Walter, Natalia, Ryan and of course, Calleigh had helped Eric move. As a housewarming gift they had chipped in and bought the family a pull-out sofa bed. Eric planned to place that in one of the upstairs' guestrooms for his nephews when they slept over. Eric had shopped at discount stores and browsed classifieds and found gently used furniture for the den. The separately purchased armchair–which Nevaeh had claimed as "her" chair, didn't match the sectional but that was okay. He also found a futon for the second spare room. Tim teased Eric that that must be where he slept when Calleigh stayed over. The house still needed other furniture like dressers for the spare rooms and a desk and office chair for the empty downstairs room which Eric planned to make a home office. But none of this was urgent. Additionally, the previous owner hadn't wanted to take her kitchen appliances to Alaska and left them with the house giving Eric and his child everything they needed for the moment.

Nevaeh grinned and nodded when Eric asked her if she liked their new home.

"I bet you do," Eric said, tickling her on sofa while they watch tv in the living room after dinner. "Daddy likes it, too."

Owning his home was great but something else was big for Eric. For the first time in his life he had his own private bathroom.

An odd thrill.

There was a half bath attached to the master bedroom. There was a full-bath upstairs and an half bath on the bottom floor. This house was a biggest place he had ever lived in but he chuckled, thinking three bathrooms would have eased morning line-ups when he was growing up. The biggest advantage he had being the only boy among three girls in the three bedroom home, was he had his own room, when the three girls had to share.

* * *

Calleigh could have seen herself living with the Delkos in their previous residence. The tiny, cozy basement apartment. She had her fingers crossed the three would live together here in the new house soon. Regardless of how long she and Eric had been dating, the two were definitely, absolutely in love. The following week was going to be their four month "anniversary." part of Calleigh thought that if Eric asked her to marry him tomorrow, she'd say "yes." And as far as a fancy wedding went, she didn't need or want one. Eric and her, with Nevaeh in tow, could take the short trip to city hall.

"You'd _seriously_ give up your condo for here?" Eric asked her as they lay in bed after making love on their anniversary.

"Yeah, I would," she said. "My building isn't kid-friendly, either. From what I've seen the neighborhood itself doesn't really like children. I've heard 'em making complaints 'bout "noise" when kids who live there, were just out playin' and laughing on the small playground, or what they call that. It's crazy."

"That's bad," Eric said.

"Their parents usually fight back and say it's just what kids do and to get over it. The board usually rolls their eyes and ignores the complaints, believing the same."

"You can call here, home, any time you want, you know," Eric said, kissing Calleigh's brow. "I'd be thrilled and I know someone else across the hall who would agree with me."

This was something the blonde was going to take into serious consideration.


	6. The Beginning Chp6

_**Stares and We don't Cares**_

While co-workers dating, living together or being married was completely frowned on by the internal affairs board Eric and Calleigh were not the only ones doing so. If a couple were able to keep things professional, at all times, no matter what was going on at home, most personnel didn't see the issue. Many cops' relationships and marriages didn't last because of the job. But at the same time this was also what made other ones do the opposite. Being in the same line of work gave more understanding to what each other went through. After being together six months to the day, Calleigh moved in with Eric and Nevaeh. Despite her grandparents believing and saying the eighteen-month-old girl couldn't understand the occasion, everyone else disagreed. Nevaeh knew "Cawwy" was coming to her house and _staying_. Though not constantly, she was calling her father's girlfriend "mami" more often in the past month. Eric had warned anyone not to correct her. Calleigh was beyond "comfortable" with the title and loved Nevaeh as her own daughter. Treating her as such. She planned to make this official if she and Eric ever married.

This was more like _when_ for Eric.

He would propose to Calleigh tomorrow if he didn't think that this would spook his lover and cause her to run for the hills. He didn't know how eager Calleigh were to marry him—and that she wouldn't tell him for the same reason.

It could have been the novelty but taking care of a baby while having to get ready for work in the morning put a smile on Calleigh's face. Nevaeh was still reeling from the excitement of Calleigh moving in with her and daddy. She was more hyper than normal.

So were the couple, they just expressed it differently.

In bed.

"Is Nevaeh any calmer, yet?" Alexx asked Eric as he entered the morgue, three days after Calleigh moved.

Eric laughed.

"I think she's getting there. I think it's sinking in for her that Calleigh's not going anywhere. She's after telling her that enough for three days."

"A zillion times, probably," Alexx smiled.

"Yeah," Eric said, "all I know is that I haven't done any diapers or baths for three days."

"So you've disappeared in the lil' one's eyes," Alexx laughed. "I bet everything's 'mami, mami, mami!' And you haven't heard "papi" for seventy-two hours."

"Not necessarily. I still get morning and goodnight kisses and bedtime stories. But other than that I'm invisible, yeah."

Some of Calleigh's living room furniture made the move. Eric's old set had seen it's day, the used sectional he had bought for the den looked new in comparison. Now there was a tv and dvd player downstairs, too. From Calleigh's place. Two dressers and a wardrobe also made it upstairs to the spare rooms. The futon moved downstairs to join the desk in what was now an office. The double bed Calleigh had taken was moved into that room. Calleigh was pleased to have contributed some furnishings to the house outside of her personal belongings, photos, trinkets—and her beloved gun safe.

* * *

"Your folks still hung up on what baby girl should call Calleigh?"

Eric nodded. That was becoming a hot button issue with his family members. Nine times out of ten since Calleigh's move Nevaeh was calling her "mami" and the baby seemed to get upset she was corrected, which was mostly by her grandparents and her aunt Paloma. Her aunt Rachel choose to stay out of the matter, figuring Eric knew how best to handle ths situation. He was her dad after all. Her parents seemed to forget that detail. Whatever Nevaeh wanted to call Calleigh at any given moment, whether it was "Cawwy" or "mami" it was up to her. Nobody else.

Eric told the M.E. that a few times while the family was over dinner the prior night. Nothing had come out but there had been a number of times that one of his parents or Paloma's mouth had opened to correct Nevaeh when she addressed Calleigh as "mami."

"I know they're only trying to protect her after Tammy and all. But they don't know what I do or see the connection I see."

"Don't they trust _you_ and your judgement? They have to know that you would want Nevaeh to be hurt, either."

"Maybe you could talk some sense into 'em," Eric sighed with a smile. "Well, enough of that. What do we have?"

* * *

Calleigh arrived home late, at ten o'clock. Eric was still going to be a while. Probably not getting home till after midnight. When neither had finished their shift by six, Paloma had bought Nevaeh home, got her settled and put her to bed. Nevaeh was tired and cried for both her parents but fell asleep in mere moments. Calleigh apologized to Eric's sister for the late hour.

"No worries," Paloma replied.

"How was she today?" Calleigh asked about Nevaeh. "No trouble?"

Paloma laughed. "She's mini-version of Eric. What else can I say?"

Eric pulled in his driveway just before one a.m.. He hadn't seen his daughter in over twelve hours. Then having to see a teenage girl on the autopsy table with her neck broken and her throat slit down to the bone by her boyfriend when she tried to break up wth him, didn't improve his state of mind. It was one of those days so far in his short law enforcement career when he wished he'd stuck to driving a tow truck. Maybe the pay sucked but the hours were predictable and he wouldn't have to see children in the morgue. His girlfriend knew his feelings as she kissed him at the door. She'd been the one to extract an angry confession and attempted justification from the eighteen-year-old suspect who was charged with second-degree murder.

Ironically the boyfriend had turned eighteen three days before. If he had committed the same crime just seventy-two hours ago, he probably would be charged as a juvenile, receiving much less time. Now he was facing twenty years in "big boy" jail, as Detective Frank Tripp said. The right punishment as far as Calleigh and Eric were concerned. How the girl's parents were coping with this horrible event the couple couldn't imagine. They didn't make a habit of putting their daughter in bed with them. Tonight was an exception. One family in Miami no longer had their daughter to cherish and spoil, they were keeping their little girl in their sights–and arms tonight.


	7. The Beginning Chp 7

_**Date Night &amp; Oreos**_

Nevaeh had taken an immediate liking to Horatio Caine when she met him. That liking had quickly turned to adoration and now he was her favorite "uncle" and visitor. Given the fact that everyone said Horatio would have been such a great one but hadn't experienced being a dad, Nevaeh filled a void in his heart and life. He babysat at every possible opportunity. He knew that parents needed couple time, too. The fact that their daughter never cried _once_, when they were walking out of the door, Nevaeh perched in Horatio's arms and waving to them happily assured them there was nothing to worry about.

Besides Neaveh getting too many cookies or ice cream.

Or both.

And staying up past seven o'clock.

Even those closest to him never seemed to understand that dating or a love life wasn't in the cards for Horatio. With the baggage he carried from his childhood and his above intense level of dedication to his work, his "spouse" was the job. A night off for him would consist of going to through old, unsolved case files at home if he wasn't babysitting Nevaeh Delko. When he was with her, her innocence took his mind off of everything, past and present. His charge was already dressed for bed. Her parents knew Horatio could have taken care of this task but now Nevaeh had more time to play with her sitter. Not that she wasn't already by her daddy, but if Nevaeh lived with him he would have her spoiled rotten.

The only "boundaries" Horatio had were about hitting, biting or swearing. The last of which Nevaeh had only done a few times and it was immediately after someone else swore. Like daddy or Tim Speedle who still hadn't learned to watch his language any. Daddy knew how to do so most of the time. Uncle H, as he was referred to by her parents was fine with jumping on the couch.

Jonathan Kinney's eyebrows raised when his brother-in-law told them that Horatio was watching Nevaeh. The two couples ran into each other in the parking lot of the restaurant where Eric had made reservations. Jonathan and Rachel were exiting the building. They too were on their date night.

"I can't believe _Horatio _is babysitting!" He said to his wife when they were in the car.

"Oh, come on. We've both met him. Children love him. Nevaeh even cries when he leaves!" Rachel said.

Even their own two boys liked the older man.

"Yeah, but I mean, he's their _boss!_" Jonathan replied. "It's just _weird!_"

"It seems like when they're off the clock, it doesn't mean anything to him. And Horatio doesn't have any family. Everybody needs someone."

Jonathan thought about it and admitted Eric had become close to the redhead and he would never let anyone get close to Nevaeh who he didn't trust. Horatio seemed equally as close to the group he led on the job.

* * *

Two extra Oreos (making a total of three) and a half hour later than usual, Horatio tucked Nevaeh into bed. He leaned down and kissed her brow, tucking her blanket around her.

"Good night, little one," he whispered to her.

Eric and Calleigh arrived home, looking flushed, at ten thirty.

"Your lobster must have been good," Horatio teased the couple, referring to the fact that the aphrodisiac effect of the crustacean and the color of their cheeks. He was giving them less than a year before the two wed.

Or Calleigh had a Delko bun in the oven, maybe both.

If Eric made a second woman pregnant and didn't marry her immediately, even if he was in a real relationship with her, his mother was going to have a heart attack. Chlorinda did adore her only granddaughter who was the result of a one-night stand but because of generation she grew up in, still cared about others thought.

Unlike her children.

They were always telling her she needed to "update her views a few decades." If the same or similar situation occurred again Chlorinda wasn't sure how she would cope. Her husband, on the other hand had done what their children advised. Things were very different nowadays and what others about family matters was irrelevant. It was none of their business. For her part, Rachel may longed for a daughter but she wasn't about to rob her brother of fatherhood to satisfy this. She would have raised Nevaeh if Eric _asked_ her to do so. She was not going to coerce him into such an arrangement.

Both Delko sisters had got to know Calleigh Duquesne well. She was the one for Eric and the right mom for Nevaeh. She knew it wasn't easy for most people to love her boyfriend's child by another woman. She wasn't sure if she would be believed but she fell in love wih Nevaeh the same time she did Eric. Hearing it was after just seven days and two dates, Paloma's shock was obvious. Calleigh would marry Eric in a heartbeat and his sisters would be happy to witness it.

"And _ignore_ mama," Rachel told Calleigh, "none of us know where her head is. You've heard her manta of _wait_. She would have you guys _wait_ forever and Nevaeh would be eighteen before you could adopt her."

The women knew her brother and Calleigh wanted to get married and have more children. Though important, Calleigh's formal adoption of their niece was just a piece of paper to her aunts. Eric had already changed every single document to name Calleigh his child's guardian in event something happened to him before he got to marry her and she adopted Nevaeh. His family didn't know that Eric already had the ring and come hell or high water, would propose to the woman he—and his daughter loved, in a few days.


	8. The Beginning Chp 8

_**I Do...Just Because**_

Seven months and four days ago, Calleigh never dreamt that she would be a married woman and a mom to a two-year-old girl today.

And no, she wasn't pregnant.

When Eric got down on bended knee in front of her during movie on their at-home date night she dissolved into tears. Regardless of how long, or not long they had known each other, Calleigh couldn't see her life without Eric.

And Nevaeh.

She and Eric had been officially engaged for just two days when they left work two hours early and tied the knot. Eric's parents and of course, the light of his and Calleigh's lives Nevaeh, attended. Alexx and Horatio came along, serving as witnesses. Eric had given his family all of six hours notice of his impending nuptials. No time to plan a reception to celebrate, but Eric insisted this didn't matter. They would celebrate in two weeks when the entire family was going to spend the long weekend on a resort in Tampa. The newlyweds were going to postpone the wedding night "celebration" because they both had to work the next day and the day, after which was Friday. But on Saturday night Nevaeh could spend the night at her grandparents' house. Pavel had suggested the little girl spend the whole weekend there but Eric said no. He didn't see his child much during the work week and wanted to spend Friday night and Saturday with her regardless of what he had to "postpone." He joked to his father that it would "make Saturday night even better."

Nevaeh wasn't sure what her parents' wedding meant.

Or how mommy could be happy but have tears in her eyes.

But neither mattered when there was cupcakes at home afterwards.

No one the couple worked with was surprised by their impromptu wedding. There was the fraction who betted, literally, it was a big mistake and Nevaeh was going to be the person who paid the price. Another who "just wished them the best" and the final fraction who betted (lierally) the two were meant to be together and would have a wonderful life with Nevaeh. The final bet, with the expense of life nowadays there was a private eighty or so percent who were convinced the couple would stick with one kid. Horatio Caine laughed the first time one of the lab technicians suggested the notion that Nevaeh would remain an only child. Having grown up in one, Eric had always said he wanted a big family. The change in the times and economy being completely irrelevant. Calleigh wasn't pregnant right now, she tried to make this clear. Everyone who had overheard the news of her marriage prior to her and Eric leaving the lab, thought so. Calleigh finally sent out a mass e-mail stating,

_I guess ya'll have heard the news. Eric and I are getting married at city hall at 3:00. Thank you for your well wishes but we will be back at the lab tomorrow. And so everyone who needs to can get to the ATM can, and others can collect their winnings before shift, I will let everyone know now I am...NOT pregnant!_

_Calleigh Duquesne (soon-to-be Duquesne-Delko) _

The e-mail had ended up going to Eric as well and he chuckled reading it. He had been getting the same looks and comments from everyone. Where as it seemed to be annoying his wife-to-be otherwise she wouldn't have sent out the e-mail on his computer screen, this amused Eric. It even amused him that people thought they wouldn't last. They would just have to show those people. On Monday morning Calleigh planned to file the already filled-out adoption papers, all she had to do was to date them. The home study, visits and interviews could get started. With the main process, the termination of her daughter's birth mother's rights completed two years ago, the process should be quick.


	9. The Beginning Chp 9

_**Preview of Life Ahead**_

When they moved into their new house Eric had bypassed the toddler bed for Nevaeh and set up a twin bed—with removable safety rails. This way she wouldn't fall out of bed but she was going to, she could make a safer "escape" versus climbing over the top of the rail of a crib. She could have a nasty fall that way. Most nights Nevaeh stayed in bed without fuss, she didn't stop during the day so she was normally exhausted. Only occasionally did she make an 'escape' from her bed and then she went to her parents room and climbed into their bed. Her parents didn't bother to put her back in her room, it was nearly daylight by the time she would do this and wasn't worth losing the last few hours of rest. The girl decided to stay in her bed that night, giving her parents some privacy even if they couldn't fully "celebrate."

"You guys actually did it, huh? Jumped the broom?" Tim Speedle said to his co-workers in the break room the next morning. "You gonna do it again, with all frills?"

Eric would do that if it was what his wife wanted but it was up to her.

"You'll have to ask her that, Speed," Eric said, pointing to his new wife.

Calleigh smiled.

"Well, Speed, you might not believe it but my new husband is a real sweetie who would dress up in what you call a "penguin suit" and go through all fancy stuff if I wanted him to. _But_ I don't want that."

Tim looked surprised.

"I thought all you southern girls wanted that."

"Not all of southern girls are wanna-be pageant queens—or cowgirls, Speed," Calleigh replied.

Instead of waiting till the following Monday Calleigh had dropped off the now-dated adoption papers to the courthouse, feeling excitement and happiness bubble up inside her whole body. Though it wasn't a bad thing, she knew she had to push those emotions away for the moment so she could focus on the tasks of the work day ahead.

And it was her and Eric's bad luck that this day would be a long one. The two didn't see each other again until nearly seven pm. when they were both reporting back to the lab to sign out. They joked it was an introduction to what marriage and family life was going to be like. The family trip out to Tampa was looking better by the hour.

"I talked to Rachel a few minutes ago," Eric said to Calleigh as they walked out to their separate cars. They agreed Calleigh would pick Nevaeh while Eric went to the bank. "It sounded like the kids are on over-drive today. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."

Glad looked like an understatement.

Upon arriving at her sister-in-law's, Calleigh learned that Rachel had agreed to watch friend's two four-year-olds Zianna and Terrence five days a week for two weeks. The siblings weren't twins and as Rachel was learning were downright violent. They were the ones responsible for the ruckus Eric heard in the background. Each of the two had bitten Rachel that day. After Zianna hit Nevaeh, Rachel began calling Helene to pick up her two children. They were too hard to handle and she was afraid the other kids would get hurt, worse than Nevaeh had already been. It took three hours to get a hold of Helene and for her to pick them up. Therefore, most of Rachel's day was spent coping with their outbursts and physical attacks, while trying to look after her boys and keep Eric's daughter from the path of Zianna who seemed to especially dislike the two-year-old. Rachel admitted to Calleigh that Zianna had pushed Nevaeh down and managed to hit her in the jaw before she could intervene the morning. This had resulted Rachel having the younger girl on her hip most of the day to protect her.

"Helene told me she was paying me double for doing this but it's not worth it," Rachel told Eric. Terrence had also hit two of her boys but they were bigger than their cousin and their tormentors so they could defend themselves better. "I wouldn't have you let me watch her if they kept coming here. I already told Nevaeh the "meanie" wouldn't be here on Monday."

Calleigh laughed.

"Did she call her that?"

"Meanie" was Neaveh's new word.

Calleigh knew Rachel wouldn't _ever_ strike _any_ child and she wasn't pinning an incident on another child no matter how "mean" said child was acting. She wanted to be upfront with Eric and Calleigh even if Nevaeh didn't develop any marks from the smack in the face she had taken. Nevaeh looked just fine to her mom as the girl ran to Calleigh. There wasn't any cuts, bruises or other marks on her to show she had been struck in the face. Calleigh asked her daughter if she had a good day at Aunt Rachel's. Nevaeh shook her head. "Una chica grande fue malo conmigo," she said.

In Spanish, Calleigh told her daughter she knew that. But she was all right and the girl wouldn't be returning to her aunt's house. She would have a great time with Rachel and the boys on Monday.

Nevaeh nodded.

Eric was mad that his daughter was hit, even by another child. He indeed intended to call Helene, the mother of the girl. Later, when he calmed down. According to Rachel, both kids were big–tall for their age, and could pass for a child a year or two older. Rachel had also told her brother to be prepared for Helene to defend her daughter's behavior, as she had earlier. This was pretty much what Eric heard, that and this behavior was "normal in the world of children" and it was her philosophy to let children work out their own issues because parents wouldn't always be there to do so." Since his child wasn't injured, Eric should stop making a fuss about it. The incident should have taught him to "toughened up" Nevaeh, Helene stated.

This told Eric what type of person was dealing with.

An imbecile who was happy raising a bully.

Since Rachel wasn't going to have the girl or her brother at her house again Eric didn't have to worry about his child's safety.

"Some people are so stupid, they shouldn't be allowed to handle hot food, let alone raise children." Eric sighed, hanging up the phone.

Calleigh couldn't help but chuckle.

"What? You never heard that expression before?" Eric asked.

"Not in my part of the south," she smiled.

_** Translation:**__ a big girl was mean to me. __**(Please correct me if I'm wrong!)**_


	10. The Beginning Chp10

_**Another World, Just Hours Away**_

Tampa was a world away from Miami for the Delkos. There were many of the same types of attractions and things to do as Miami but here, there was no way Eric or Calleigh could be called to a crime scene simply because it was too far a distance. That and the couple decided to take a week's vacation. Each family had their own two-bedroom suite with a living room and kitchenette. The kids so far had enjoyed an afternoon trip to the Florida Aquarium. Now everyone was enjoying time in the hotel pool. Tonight Nevaeh was staying with her dad's parents' in their suite, so Eric and Calleigh could have a "proper" be it, a belated wedding night. Shortly after dinner Calleigh packed Nevaeh's knapsack with the girl's pajamas, clothes for the next day, two extra pull-ups and other over-night essentials. She put a few of the rainbow chip granola bars Nevaeh liked in there as well. But she knew the grandparents already had goodies. "Bunny," her daughter's favorite stuffed toy was taking separate transport. By his ears in the the little girl's hand.

This was technically the second "bunny." Nevaeh was none the wiser. The first had finally seen too many trips through the washer and dryer. But luckily the toy was a popular model, therefore easy to find. There were three more "back-up" bunnies on the shelf in the closet for when this one met his demise the same way.

"Mommy and daddy will see you at breakfast, okay, sweet-pea?" Calleigh said, giving Nevaeh a kiss.

"Otay, mommy," Nevaeh replied.

The entire group were going to have breakfast from the buffet in the downstairs diner

They stayed up late watching movies, was what Eric and Calleigh told an inquisitive seven-year-old Sasha when he asked why the two looked so tired the following morning. A group family vacation of any kind wasn't an experience Calleigh hadn't had before. But it was something the Delko clan made sure to do once a year since grandchildren started coming to the family. Eric had always went along even before his daughter was born. Now he was both a doting dad and fun uncle. These trips were going to make many memories for his (and Calleigh's) daughter—and hopefully her siblings as she grew up. Calleigh, too, was finding the experience wonderful and realized why Eric made time for this. The three were going to keep doing it for years to come.

Abuela and Dedushka's ulterior motive for wanting Eric and Calleigh to have time alone was hope the younger couple would come home with a "little souvenir." The two didn't intend on this but weren't guarding against it, either. It wasn't sure how long the adoption process would take to complete. Even though it was just a piece of paper, in some ways a security net it felt important that it be done before they had a second child. Tammy couldn't be considered anything more than a traditional surrogate to any sensible person. Despite the fact she was conceived the "old-fashioned" way.

* * *

"'Wonder how Calleigh and Eric are enjoying their weekend?" A worn-out Tim Speedle said to an equally tired and grumpy Ryan Wolfe.

The two were at their second corner store robbery of the day. In the first, the clerk's injuries didn't appear life-threatening but an hour ago was still in surgery. She was able to give a description of the shooter before she was loaded into the ambulance. Tim, the only single CSI was working his third twelve hour shift. He was silently glad he wasn't permitted to work for two days after this. His bed was looking better by the minute though Tim didn't think he was going to make it past the couch when he got home.

Ryan and Natalia had had their fingers crossed that they could have a quiet weekend together but they were on-call and they weren't shocked when they got a call-out.

"Me, too. I bet Nevaeh is loving it. Calleigh said she cried every time their phones rang the past few days," Ryan said.

Just before the family went on their Tampa trip Eric and Calleigh seemed to be away from their child most of the hours of the day. For three days Eric said that one of them would get in the door from one call and get another. The two men understood why the tot was beginning to hate their work cellphones.

"Eric said the same. Knowing Nevaeh I'm surprised she hasn't tried to flush their phones," Tim chuckled.

The Delkos _had _thought about that.

Their precious child was going through a phase to trying to flush objects out of curiosity.

No matter how time-outs she got for it.

They knew their phones were on top of her list since they "took mami and papi away," thus their cellphones always of out the toddler's reach.


End file.
